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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bound — certain
  4. perch — the fish
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bound — obliged
  7. firm — a company
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. firm — steady
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. firm — decided
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. hand — help
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. object — to protest
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com